Project Pawn, a youth chess program founded by Bronx natives Chris Johnson and Abdul Sulaiman Jr., opened a flagship space in the Soundview neighborhood on Monday, Sept. 23, offering chess education, tournaments and other activities for kids and families.
The group’s founders said that the opening of the Project Pawn Learning Center has been a long time coming. “It’s still a little surreal,” Sulaiman Jr. told the Bronx Times.
He and Johnson grew up as neighbors in the River Park Towers and played on the same chess team. Over the years, they turned their passion from a hobby into a career that has introduced thousands of young people to the game. Project Pawn currently has 20 chess instructors working in 40 schools across the city, and the founders hope the new center will further expand their reach.
Their flagship location at Soundview and Gildersleeve Avenues has 16 tables set up with chess boards, plus TVs and a lounge. The main room features a black and white mural of chess pieces and a subway car by local artist Jasminia Jolie.
Johnson said the center will welcome chess enthusiasts while also provide a gathering space for other events. There are many homes in the area but few activities for families, he said.
Council Member Amanda Farías, who was at the opening, also said that the Soundview area lacks many entertainment options like movie theaters or bowling alleys. “It’s good to add this in as a skill set and community-building component,” she told the Bronx Times.
Farías, who grew up in a chess-loving family, said that it is important for kids to see people like Johnson and Sulaiman Jr., who turned a hobby into an entrepreneurial opportunity that also benefits the community. When kids see that type of achievement in a nontraditional career, it’s “expectation level setting” for them, she said.
Assembly Member Landon Dais, an avid chess fan, also attended the opening and said that learning to play at a young age “evolved [his] mind.”
He met Johnson and Sulaiman Jr. at a chess tournament at Yankee Stadium and became convinced that their program, and others like it, can be lifechanging for Bronx youth.
“These are the types of programs we need to fund,” he said.
The popularity of chess has exploded in recent years, helped by hit shows such as “The Queen’s Gambit,” which debuted on Netflix in fall 2020, said Johnson. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people became interested in learning and mastering chess — and demand just kept building.
Johnson, who has been a chess instructor since high school, said he used to “have to beg” for teaching opportunities. But nowadays, many schools recognize the value of the game, and Project Pawn is ready to meet the flooding demand.
The timing couldn’t be better, said Johnson. After talking about opening a center for the past seven or eight years, his partner happened to find an ideal open space. “It’s amazing, a dream come true,” said Johnson.
Sulaiman Jr. said that while he no longer competes to be a ranked chess player, he gets even more satisfaction from working with youth.
“If they’re getting better, I know I’m doing the right thing,” he said.
For more information on Project Pawn and programming at the Soundview center, see https://www.projectpawngroup.com/ and Instagram @projectpawnnyc.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
